CROMWELL, Conn. -- Viktor Hovland capped off a gritty rally when he made a 7-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Monday morning and won the Travelers Championship when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler missed a 4-foot birdie putt.
Scheffler had to make an 8-foot par in near darkness Sunday night to force the playoff.
Hovland and Scheffler returned for one hole, which did not lack for drama or atmosphere. Both found the middle of the fairway on the par-4 18th. Scheffler hit his approach close as some 3,000 fans surrounding the green erupted in cheers.
Hovland responded, just as he did on the back nine Sunday when he made up a two-shot deficit, hitting his approach to 6 feet. His birdie putt downhill with a sharp left-to-right break barely caught the inside right of the cup.
Scheffler played his outside to the left, with a little too much impact, and it rolled over the left edge.
"It was a little surreal when [the putt] went in, to be honest," Hovland, who won for the first time this season, told the Golf Channel. "It's been stressful, but yeah, unbelievable, after he hit it so close. I knew I had to bring my best to beat him."
Hovland won for the 10th time worldwide, and eighth time on the PGA Tour. His previous victory was at the Valspar Championship in March 2025.
It marked Scheffler's fourth runner-up finish this year after opening his season with a victory at The American Express in the California desert.
There was lively banter for the playoff. A group of Norwegian fans, who had been in Boston for the World Cup, wore their soccer jerseys and chanted, "Hov-land!" as he approached his golf ball in the fairway. The Americans began the "Scot-tie Scheff-ler!" chants to drown them out.
Norway next plays a World Cup match in Dallas, the hometown of Scheffler.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.